The word 'reel' is a the term social media platforms use to describe a very short (usually 60 seconds or less) video that you can edit and post using their 'reel editor.' These types of videos were made famous by TikTok but you can now make them on Facebook and other social media platforms too. Do you want to create a reel for your business or for fun? They can seem tricky to create at first, but once you get the hang of it, they aren't so bad.

Reels are a great way to start video editing. Creating a reel can give you a feel for the basics of adjusting the length of clips and stitching them together the way you want. It can also give you a quick feel for how pros lay elements like text and graphics over their videos. My favorite part of reel editors are the fact that they allow you to add hit songs. This is because the song is referenced within the reel and therefore the copyrights are made right with so to speak.

Note that Tik Tok, Facebook and Instagram all have separate Reel editor tools that you can use. This makes reel making pretty much free and accessible (as long as you have access to the internet and a phone camera). Just remember that each of the editors is a little different. Today I'm going to be working with the Facebook reel editor tool.

​You can record multiple clips for a reel 'on the fly' while in the editor tool, but this is often tricky and unrealistic unless you want to think fast. If you don't want to be pressured to think so quickly about which clips you want to record (and I often don't), you can create a facebook reel using and recycling videos you already have in your phone’s camera roll and that's what I do here. It can be a little tricky at first until you learn the steps. In the video below, I take you through the steps. I'll show you what each one looks like. Just watch carefully so you don't get tripped up.

1. Go to your facebook page and start to create a post. Before you create the post select 'reel'
2. Go to the bottom left and click on the photo stack icon
3. Make sure to select 'select multiple' top right if you want to add and stitch together multiple videos in your reel, then select each of your videos and click 'next' when you're ready.
4. *Important: Go to the top left and hit the backwards arrow to edit each of your clips individually. Otherwise, Facebook will stitch your videos together however it wants by default.
5. Click on the bottom center of the editor your clips are shown. You will see the number of clips. Tap the number. Now your clips will be shown individually.
6. Click on each clip and then click 'trim' in order to shorten the clip and find the piece you want. Drag the slider bar back and forth until you're happy with the segment. Click done in the top right after trimming each clip. Remember, you only get 30 seconds cumulatively for your reel.
7. When done trimming each clip tap 'done' in the top right one last time. Your video will now be stitched together not just arbitrarily but in the way you want.
8. Now you are back out to the main screen where your video is all stitched together in the way that you want. Now you can add captions, effects, text, or audio music to your video! Have fun with it! You can trim from here as well but bear in mind in this screen you can only trim the WHOLE reel video (not individual clips).
9. When done adding text or effects, click 'next' and you will be able to add a description to your video and then share your reel. *Be sure to look in the top left to watch your reel uploading. Don't click away too soon or you can lose your edits and your reel. Be patient and wait for it to upload. It should usually take about 1-5 minutes depending on your connection speed.

​Each of us has expertise to share. We do hours of research and spend late nights up scouring the internet to find ways to make our own lives easier, healthier and more enjoyable. We also put these hours in to improve our own knowledge base or stay up-to-date.

Things we've learned can range anywhere from how to make our great grandmother's pie recipe to how to start a not-for-profit, how to find the cutest spring hats or how to create an app.. even how to beat our favorite video game.

Sometimes we share what we've learned and sometimes we don't.. BUT often times when we do, most of of do NOT do it in the smartest, most efficient ways. We usually just share these things we've pick up or learned in an excited facebook post or some kind of Instagram story from our personal pages. That's great but.. This gives the platforms all the glory.. and credit!

I'm on a mission to figure out how to change that.
I believe that not only do we all deserve a little credit for all the time we spend, but many of us also could truly use a little something back (potentially). While that can mean monetarily, it doesn't necessarily have to mean that.

My years of work for others (primarily business owners) helping them better utilize the platforms of the internet have taught me that there is a better way to share than most of us do. There IS an eloquent way for you to share authentically while not (let me just be honest here) screwing yourself over in opportunity cost every time.
There are more opportunities for individuals today than most people realize. Those opportunities are just going to get bigger and bigger as the economy shifts into this new thing it has been becoming for the last 20 to 30 years.

Anyway, if this all sounds intriguing to you, feel free to join me in The Content Journey, it is a free group where I explain how you can share on the internet in a really eloquent and rewarding way that gives you more leverage for the future. I help you avoid the pitfalls and the many mistakes I've made getting started and just help you get things set up well from the start.

My scrubby beta platform of this system can be seen Lorna Doone Living. It isn't very fully established but the skeleton system is in place. .. so check it out, feel free to be nosy, you may even understand the whole idea of it without direct explanation.
​
P.S. after two weeks of a debilitating headache, I'm getting back to it. It's great to be back.

My husband and I were recently watching Ancient Aliens and the episode was about mound builders and ancient mounds in the United States. It reminded me of something I read a while back.

The Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia has an alleged hidden history that few people hear about. In traditional history books, William Penn is credited for most things Fairmount. He is even arbitrarily credited with naming the area. Still, not everyone believes the story of William Penn naming the area Fairmount upon 'noticing a beautiful hill' to be the full namesake or origin story. Some say the area has a deeper, more occulted past.

In fact, it is possible that much of the area's pre-colonial history has either never been recorded or has simply been omitted and obscured from record.

Today, most people know the Fairmount Park section of Philadelphia for its famous art museum and the art museum's famous steps as seen in the movie Rocky. The steps of the art museum (in the modern day Fairmont Park section of Philadelphia) are the very steps that Rocky climbs up in his internationally famous training montage.

​If you have ever watched the movie scene you will notice Rocky is sprinting up a strangely elongated and slightly awkwardly shaped flight of stairs. As far as public stairs go, they are unusually high and particularly steep looking if viewed from afar. The stairs starting up to the museum are followed by a landing.. then more stairs. If you've ever climbed the flight of steps yourself, you know it is a bit of a haul up to the museum entrance.

The shape and slope of the staircase are features that 'fuel' the theory of a hidden history. If you think about the layout of the steps, you might compare it to the steps at famous ancient pyramid sites like that at Teotihuacan, Mexico.

Furthermore, it is said by some that Fairmount, or the "fair mount" for which Fairmont in Philadelphia gets its name was originally called ‘the fire mount' which was an ancient sacred mound site. Proponents of this theory claim that the area only became named "Fairmount" after more recent European settlers corrupted the name of what the Lenni Lenape and early settlers originally called the "fire mount." The fire mount would have been a place either built to be or held sacred for energy or ceremonial activity. Of course, the fire mount would have likely been a place where 'elemental fire' was used for ceremony. Disclaimer: This is Not accepted fact, this is speculated.

One thing is for sure however, before Fairmount was Fairmount (all one word), there was a "Fair Mount" (a large standalone hill) after which it was named. On old maps the ‘fair or fire mount’ is illustrated plainly (see below). Note that while we see the hill illustrated on the 1600's Holme map, we have no indication of whether it was natural, manmade, natural and improved upon or otherwise.

An ancient sacred mound site existing below the Philadelphia Museum of Art may seem ludicrous to some Philadelphians and tourists. However, thousands, if not tens of thousands of similar sacred mound sites are factually known to have existed throughout the North American continent.

Some of these sites were rounded mounds, some were similar to the step pyramids many know from shows like Ancient Aliens and some were even unique forms like serpents and other shapes. Some still exist though many are visibly lost.

Why don't we see many of these mounds or sacred sites today? It has been common practice around the world to build elaborate churches or public sites on top of what was once natively sacred structure or ground. In traditional academia it is accepted that many sacred mound sites became obliterated by colonial and modern construction. In fact, Thomas Jefferson apparently built his house "Monticello" on a once sacred mound site. Some mound sites are also known to have been made unrecognizable by erosion.

As for what is hiding under the art museum and its steps in Fairmont, Philadelphia the truth may be hidden in the sands of time. That said, some aspects of the hill and its history make a pretty good case for a sacred mound site buried below.

Maybe you have walked up the museum steps and just get a feeling that something is a little different about the site or get a feeling and know it to be true. On the other hand, maybe you think it is all way too much of a stretch.

Could Philadelphia's Fairmount (or Fire Mount) have originally been a sacred mound site? Is the hill on which the famous Philadelphia art museum stands actually a sacred Native American site? Could the steps that Rocky climbed up be traditional steps within the mound similar in exact layout and structure to other sites like Teotihuacan in Mexico?

We know that the Swedish settlers that inhabited the area very well may have used a hill like the one the museum currently sits on as a sacred observatory. Could they have been following in the footsteps of the Lenni Lenape or people unknown who came before them in holding the site as ceremonial or sacred?

A convincing bit of evidence says "it is not out of the question."

Below are some fascinating screenshots which are mostly excerpts from an article on obscure Philadelphia history. I'll add references to where you can read more articles and decide for yourself.

This alternative, not at all validated version of Fairmount's history is sometimes called "The Fable of Fairmount." Though it is not in academic text books, The Fable of Fairmount has actually been published in a few newsletters. The screenshot below is from a newsletter archive of the Kelpius Society. The Kelpius Society is not an academic institution but is roughly associated with the 'religious' group the Rosicrucians. Now, the interesting this about this article in the 2010 Kelpius newsletter is that it is actually a reprint from an article that appeared in the Friends of Philadelphia Parks in Spring of 2011.

The following excerpt explains the perpetuated story about how William Penn identified and named the "fair mount" but it also goes on to explain how the Fairmount area and its naturally abundant and fertile forest and hunting grounds became a favorite place of European aristocrats. During colonial times, Europeans sometimes had a way of taking some of the best fertile land from natives and then erasing them from the written history. We can't say that is with certainty that is what happened here, but I don't think it is out of the question. With fertile ground and abundant hunting lands, is it very likely that the native populations did not live here and / or hold it sacred?

Wikipedia itself even goes onto explain how the Swedish, Dutch and German settlers flocked to areas along the Delaware river and that, in a similar fashion to Penn's Walking Purchase, swindled the native tribes into giving away their land. Could it be said that something similar happened in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia along the Delaware river? Remember, it was fertile ground near a body of water. It would have been a prime spot for tribes to meet, hunt, fish, gather or live.
​

Another important read that proves that some of history may have been erased by the settlers is this article which is a pretty thorough explanation of how how the Lenape were erased from Pennsylvania history! Could their sacred spots have been 'erased' from Fairmount's historic accounts? It doesn't seem impossible.

Hey, let's talk about cat urine. Why not? This article gets a TEN out of TEN for glamour. This is the May 19th installment of the Highlights of my Day project that I used to kick off this blog. I jotted down a few notes for this day. Admittedly, none of them were particularly interesting, but if you have cats one is probably particularly useful (at times - hopefully not too often!)

My husband and I have (or more accurately reside with) cats. As a young couple years ago we never planned on having cats but after a family member's cat wasn't getting along with her other cat.. the best cat ever came to stay with us 'for a visit.' That visit would last 'forever.:)' That was Sampson. He was our first cat who came with us to stay.

Now of course we didn't want Sam to be lonely and had to get him a friend. While finding him that friend we met a rescue group. Through the rescue group we not only found Sam a friend but also picked up a cage cleaning volunteering and fostering gig. It's a familiar story to many. This is the part where we wound up with way more cats than we ever planned on having (not a bad thing.)

We were the typical young couple who loved animals. Naturally we ended up with what they call a few 'foster failures.' Failure is not used in the negative sense here. This just means that you fall so in love with your foster cats that they end up staying with you. This is common especially if a cat has special needs or behavioral challenges meaning a rescue group might have trouble finding a good home after fostering. Making a long story short our experience with this sort of thing meant more friends for (a very patient) Sam. We loved volunteering as cleaners but took a break from that and fostering / taking in new 'friends for Sam' for several years. Our space had become maxed out.

As I write this many years later now with a bit more space, I can report we recently adopted two orange boys. These boys were living on a local compost pile and under an abandoned porch in our neighborhood. We knew that integrating two little 'wild boys' into our home smoothly with our senior cats was likely going to be interesting and potentially involve territory marking - cat pee. We were right. Did I mention we love all our cats SO very much?

This event inspired my topic here today - how to clean up cat pee. When you live with and work to acclimate many cats, chances are you will deal with cat urine now and then. It is not the forever norm as most cats become 'potty trained' quickly but during their time getting used to or adjusting to a new space or 'friend' it can happen.

After 15 years of living with our beloved cats, here are a few things I've learned about cats and cat bathroom accidents:

• Contrary to some stereotypes, even with multiple cats your house's space does Not necessarily have to smell like cats or reveal it as obvious that you have cats as long as you have a proper cleaning method and routine.

• Most cats love litter boxes and use them regularly and reliably (unless something is new to them or wrong - say, a bladder infection which can be treated),

• Kittens or newly acclimated cats can get too comfy on towels or laundry piles and pee there, so do your best to keep them off the floor to avoid this. However, when this does happen a good laundry detergent and double wash should leave your clothing smelling like new! Fortunately the same goes for sheets. Cat urine is definitely washable in the wash. We usually go with at least two washes before drying using a powerful powder laundry detergent with machine wash cold.

• Nature's Miracle's (the popular cat urine enzyme cleaner) older formula used to work wonders on accidents on carpets but the new formula doesn't seem to do as well. That said, enzymes sprays are still a go-to. It used to have a lovely light lavender scent and super strong enzyme odor removal power but now the new formula seems to have a strong perfume-y rose scent that can be a bit caustic to the nose and the enzymes don't seem to remove the odor as well. I currently recommend Norwex Clean Linen odor eliminator spray on Most surfaces (see which ones below) for this purpose used as directed for odors. You might also try Doctor Elsie's cat urine removal or Any other product with odor eliminating enzymes.

• When it comes to removed the smell of kitty urine / cat pee, vinegar and baking soda have not worked for us the way the internet touts it to do so. Baking soda works well to absorb extra liquid on a surface you don't want to push it into or blot (otherwise absorbent towel typically works just fine), BUT that said, it doesn't do a whole lot to absorb or eliminate the smell in my experience. Along with vinegar it may absorb Some smell and it is better than nothing, but you are probably going to need soap and or enzymes too (or in the case of linens, just detergent and a washing machine.)

1) Absorb cat pee from the wood by lightly blotting with an absorbent towel paper or cloth.
2) Wash the area first with a Strong scented / lavender soap or body wash and water. Dial works well in an emergency though I can't fully recommend Dial brand on account of they are not cruelty-free. 
3) Utilize enzyme spray. I use Norwex 'Crisp Linen scented' Enzyme Odor Eliminator. You want to mix your spray with a little bit of water. To do this I rewet the area a very small bit and then, spray the enzyme spray generously. You can cover the area with a glossy disposable paper plate or plastic wrap to prevent evaporation. In 24-48 hours the enzymes should have broken down a significant portion of the pee smell. Note that the crisp linen perfume smell will dissipate as well / is not permanent.
4) Repeat this process 2 or 3 times as needed to eliminate the smell from the wood (or engineered board etc.)

1) Dab very lightly to absorb and pee with an absorbent cloth or paper towel. You may want to add some baking soda to the carpet first if it is thick to try to draw up any other liquid. I do not personally apply vinegar to the carpet even though that is also common.
2) Rinse your carpet with an enzyme carpet cleaner, carpet cleaner OR (preferably lavender scented) soap or body wash.
​3) Once the carpet is soaped up, absorb any remaining excess soap.
4) Apply a little more water, brush out the carpet with a carpet brush lightly as needed and then start applying the enzyme spray. Let the enzyme spray sit for a significant amount of time, at least 15 minutes before reapplying. Wait 24-48 hours to see if you need to revisit and repeat the process. Depending on the thickness of your carpet, you may need to do this several times.
5) If the smell still lingers after dousing generous amounts of enzyme spray mixed with a few drops of water and letting it sit for 24-48 hours at a time (covered with plastic if you wish), this may mean your carpet is too thick to be cleaned to your satisfaction. You may want to consider replacing or removing the carpet. Thin carpets can be easily cleaned but thick carpets can be very hard to fully recover even with the best enzyme cleaners.

​Another suggestion: Consider washable rugs like Ruggables for your home.

1) Dab the furniture very lightly with an absorbent shammy or towel. 
2) If you can remove the cushion covers, immediately carefully remove to place them in the washing machine (if washable). If you can not remove the cushion covers for machine washing, apply the following steps directly to the cushion, but first test a small inconspicuous spot to ensure your enzyme spray is color safe.
3) Absorb any remaining urine from the foam cushion or pad. Spray foam cushion with enzyme cleaner mixed with water or soapy water (I prefer lavender scented soap or scentless soap for this purpose). 
4) Repeat as needed.

1) Absorb any excess cat urine with a shammy or towel. Paper towels can of course be used as a last resort. 
2) Lightly blot with spot with a soapy towel. Do not over saturate.
3) Spray an odor eliminating spray such as Norwex Crisp Linen deoderizer OR mattress cleaner to the spot. Wait 24-48 and repeat as needed. After 2-3 times your mattress may just smell like new. Ideally, place a plastic contractor bag or plastic tarp over the spot while the enzymes do their work. This helps the enzymes to do their work continually instead of evaporating. It also helps keep your cat from going back to this spot.

​1) Absorb any excess cat urine with a shammy or towel. Paper towels can of course be used as a last resort. 
2) Lightly blot with spot with a soapy towel. Do not over saturate.
3) Spray an odor eliminating spray such as Norwex Crisp Linen deoderizer OR mattress cleaner to the spot. Wait 24-48 and repeat as needed. Test a small conspicuous area of your foam mattress first to ensure the product does not damage your particular mattress. Note that many deodorizing enzyme sprays will say 'not intended for use on foam mattresses.' Use at your own discretion. I have not had an issue using these products on my own foam mattresses in the past. In fact, they are the only way I was able to avoid throwing out the mattress.

Did your cat only have an accident that is poop? Well, it is your lucky day. (So lucky, right?;) Picking up the poop using a paper towel or gloves and then cleaning the soiled space with soap and water should do just fine!

Getting this blog (and really, myself) together has been what seems like a perpetual process. That's life though. No self-hate here. For years I was working behind the scenes on trying to develop and keep separate 'media' - one 'channel' for recipes, one for online tutorials and more. At some point it dawned on me that that's crazy!

Admittedly, I got the final push and inspired to post everything all under 'one roof' finally after watching 'The Big Shot' with Bethany Frankel. (Guilty!) It really is a good show. and not as shallow as you might predict. Don't know it til' you try it, I promise! It's available on HBO Max.

The premise of the show is that Bethany is looking for an employee / apprentice essentially who can handle and understand the many branches of her brand. Though there are many, Bethany places everything under the 'Skinny Girl' brand 'umbrella.' This is what makes it all doable. To know Bethany is to be able to understand and manage all of what is 'Skinny Girl.' The structure is very organized and makes sense. Everything coming from her is, by the very nature of who it comes from, already coherent and connected. It eliminates extra work, confusion, channel maintenance and run-around.

After watching the show, it clicked. I quickly started 'dumping' everything I've ever created into the one bucket that is a blog I titled 'Lorna Doone Living.' As someone who has worked in 'marketing' and has shared up to high heaven successfully for others, I really should've known to do this all along.

I actually DID know this! ..yet, for years my confidence and footing really just was not there or ready yet. In the past, I believed in the things I was creating but I didn't believe in myself enough to put everything under one roof under which I lived as well.

I thought it would be disjointed - boring - and not make sense.

FEAR (and lack of self-confidence) SUCKS

Looking back, the worry was actually coming from how I saw not multi-topic writing, but how I saw myself or rather, how I feared people would see me.

You have to actually stand strong against 'not good enough' fears and believe in yourself ENOUGH to create things whose common thread is you. I have learned this. I've also learned that to do it while actually staying true to your authentic self is a graceful balancing act.. but it can be done in a fun, real way. It just takes time.

I may still not be the Most confident person in the world when it comes to sharing my own content. ..but I am at the point where I finally feel ok bringing everything I create to underneath one roof. This was a process. The name of that umbrella I chose was 'Lorna Doone Living.'

As I'm writing this in pops the ol' subconcious 'nobody cares.' I no longer listen to that little voice. The way that I kick this is to remind myself that 'not everyone is psychic' and they may actually want to hear what you have to say. (I spent a lot of my life quiet assuming everyone else to just be psychic. ..It isn't a great approach to life or job interviews.;)

Aliases and Pen Names: How and why they help and why they can make a good sharing 'umbrella.'

To make up for the increasingly small holes in my ever developing sense of self-confidence, I went with the ol' alias / pen name 'trick.' It can infuse a little bit of extra needed confidence. Beyonce had Sasha Fierce. I have 'Lorna Doone.' Ridiculous, yeah, sorta. Let's be honest. Aliases and pen names are sometimes a corny trick used by start-up motivational speakers but they're also an innocent, fun and organized way of doing things when used sincerely. An alias or pen name can become something like a 'brand umbrella.'

Shrinking confidence? Get Living .. Or at least that's my approach

I kind of get a sense that the past year has silently killed a lot of our confidence in ourselves and faith in our own projects. Why bother continuing? Why bother living? I shudder to say I bet many reading this are familiar with this and are no recent stranger to those thoughts.

That's one reason I named my blog 'Lorna Doone LIVING' - BECAUSE the more time goes on and especially after the craziness dealt last year to everyone, it becomes more and more apparent to me that our focus needs to be in **LIVING**, as in 'NOT spiritually dying.' To me, that goes hand in hand with talking and sharing. ..which makes perfect sense for a blog.

One of the great things about these times we live in is the fact that we have access to these types of outlets.. and often, for free!

...So this was a little glimpse into why and how I created "Lorna Doone Living." (Just in case you didn't psychically know that, but yet wanted to know;)

I can only hope that it will inspire confidence in others and help them to do the same, that is.. put more of themselves out there.

I do not need or want to have a multi-million dollar brand like Bethany, I just want to put content out there in a way that is coherent and consistent. ..and I can honestly say I really appreciate her inspiration. <3

I appreciate ALL inspiration. ..so if you also feel compelled, please keep sharing.

- "Lorna"

More than thirty days behind in posts, (meaning I now have 30 days worth of notes to catch up with and write about) we're going to have to shorten these posts up a bit. No one will hold it against me I'm sure.

The day is May 18, 2021, the fourth day of The Highlights of my Day blogging project and challenge to myself. On this day I made seitan, had a Zoom meeting with a home improvements contractor and sketched a bathroom vanity.

I'll talk a little bit about the seitan and you'll find the recipe below. If you're reading this you might be thinking, "what the hell is seitan?" and that's fair. I didn't know what seitan was up until a few years ago. It's actually one of the coolest things to eat that you may have never heard about / eaten... Actually, you probably have eaten it and just don't realize it.

What is Seitan?

Seitan is a plantbased 'meat' made from a flour-like product called vital wheat gluten. Some refer to it as a "vegetarian meat substitute." Seitan is basically made via the reaction of vital wheat gluten (derived from the wheat plant) with liquid / water. Simply mixing the two together forms a chewy / tough dough that can mimic the texture (and flavor if you add broth and spices) of many animal meats such as turkey, chicken and ham. As with many fine recipes, if you don't know what you're doing seitan can come out pretty soppy and badly.. but if you do know what you're doing, you can make a plant-based deli sandwich that would have your most meat loving friends jealous.

You've probably eaten 'seitan' even if you don't think so and here's why I say that. If you've ever had a sausage, a product like a 'Slim Jim', or even a burger or taco at a chain restaurant, chances are a portion of your meat patty was sometimes actually seitan (that is, a mixture of vital wheat gluten and water). This is because some manufacturers actually use the concept of 'seitan' as 'filler' to 'plump up' their meat while keeping it full and well, meaty. If this isn't a testament to how meat-like seitan can be, I don't know what is. Most intentionally plant-based 'meats' are made of some type of 'seitan' with the exceptions being gluten-free and bean, nut, or soy based alternatives.

History of Seitan

​"Seitan dates back to ancient China, almost 1,500 years ago. Buddhist monks in the sixth century discovered the wheat meat after soaking their wheat dough in water, removing all the starch, leaving a high protein wheat gluten." - LoveSeitan.com

So how do you make seitan? Well, it's easy. I'll add the recipe here for how to make a really good seitan 'roast' for use in soups, BBQ or for carver cold cuts on sandwiches.

Note: Seitan does contain gluten, so just beware if you have an allergy or sensitivity. In that case, if you want to learn more vegetarian and plant-based cooking, look for gluten-free alternatives. Also, if you want to try seitan but don't feel like making it, simply pick some up in the speciality section of most grocery stores under the label 'seitan' and also note that most of the plant-based meats on the shelves are also a type of seitan. Why not try some of those too!?

1 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons tamari
​1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups of water and more as needed

In a large bowl, combine the vital wheat gluten, flour, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in 3 1/2 tablespoons of the tamari, the olive oil, and the water, and continue stirring until well mixed. Knead the dough for at least 3 minutes. The more you knead it the denser it will become. Also, the more you let it sit after kneading (I recommend letting it sit about 15 minutes before roasting), the denser and more meat like it will become.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the seitan dough on an oiled sheet of aluminum foil and enclose it in the foil. Place the wrapped seitan inside a large baking dish, seam side up. I like to lightly twist up each side of the tin foil holding in the dough / roast. This prevents any extra water from getting inside and making it too soggy. Bake until firm, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. 

Transfer the cooked seitan to a baking sheet to cool. If you are not using the seitan right away, store, tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for many days or in the freezer for several weeks.

Slice as cold cuts or break off chunks to add BBQ sauce too etc!​

Here's the quick bathroom vanity 'inspiration' sketch we sent to a woodworker for a quote. It was drawn in a pinch and sent over in part for kicks as my husband may end up needing to construct the vanity himself. We haven't received the quote yet! I'm sure it will be well reasonable, just not sure it will be within our project budget.

​I put together the following quick inspiration photos and drawing using a blank canvas in Canva. We sent this over to get a custom woodworking quote.

I could have done a more refined job but we were pressed for time and had to get this over quickly.

Wow, if this title isn't a snoozer, I don't know what is. ;) ..but it is what it is. 

Today the highlights of my day listed were reading the periodical magazine Birds and Blooms and unpacking our regular bimonthly order from Chewys.com. Surely there had to be another interesting part of this day, no? In any case, I didn't note one if there was and now it is thus destined to be forgotten forever. Well, maybe. I mean, who knows if I'll recall something else from this day later. 

This was Day 3 of my 'Highlights of my Day' project that I'm using to kick off my blog. As boring as the notes from this day may seem, they're honest.. and 'real.' Those two things are good enough for me. I also like that they're so simple. I've said it here before, I like boring. To me boring is often just another word for 'blank canvas.' 

Speaking of a blank canvas, the main thing about Birds & Blooms magazine is that it has some serious visual appeal. I would've never ordered Birds & Blooms magazine for myself, but I was lucky to be able to try it out as a reader because it was a holiday present. The unique aesthetic of the magazine is what struck me first.

Gift Buying Tip for the Slightly Traditional and Crafty Minimalist 

Things you wouldn't buy yourself but wouldn't mind checking out do might pretty cool holiday gifts, even I, a pretty intense gift minimalist, must admit. ..and the cool thing about magazines is that they don't take up too much space and you do get to recycle them / throw them away when you're done.

If you're the crafty type, you could also use the colorful pages for decoupage, collages and other craft projects. The color pages of Birds & Blooms, a magazine about exactly what it sounds like - birds and flowers - would be perfect for that. Also, now I can't help but be tempted to roll some paper beads.

The Ol' Digital vs. Paper Debate

I believe you also get the read online option with your subscription, I'm not sure! That is the case with many magazines these days. I have to admit the paper copies are just always so nice to take outside to enjoy in the yard or on your porch with a cup of tea - no squinting at a phone screen or bulky tablet laptop required. What do you think? Do you still enjoy paper magazines? I can say I do On Occasion.

Now I don't have much to say about this particular issue of Birds & Blooms other than the fact that I can recall it was the Hummingbird Issue. There were some great facts and photos about hummingbirds in the issue that I didn't have the foresight to make a note of. That is a lesson learned for the future. Highlights from magazines make great blog and discussion topics. In any case, what sticks with me are that the pictures were beautiful.

Bottom line: Birds & Blooms is a lighthearted magazine to read if you appreciate birds and gardening. As far as I know it is the only magazine to combine the two topics.. and that's genius really as the two really do often go hand in hand.

If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, that's great but you get to enjoy the two birds, the bush and then some if you read Birds & Blooms magazine. I mean.. right.  Anyway..

Just the Facts

Birds and Blooms is a magazine that can make a cute gift for the right person. A yearly subscription buys 7 issues per year and the magazine arrives about every other month. I'm not an affiliate or paid endorser but I am a fan of escaping for the moment to just browse through the magazine for inspiration along with a snack or some tea. Very old school.

It makes for a downtime treat after unpacking all those heavy boxes of Dr. Elsie's litter from Chewy's.

If you're only interested in my daily highlights and not the 'How' of how I tackled this blog post, skip down below the first photo.
​
The trusty iPhone notes app is all it took to write this detailed blog post. For this post, I referred back to my notes app and scrolled to the date May 16, 2021 to see what I had placed there. I wouldn't have remembered almost any highlights to write about without it!

Looking at this day's notes had me at "coffee." Typical.. but I'm not ashamed to say it. The morning note was 'the first pot of coffee brewed in the new coffee maker.'

The story behind the first pot of coffee highlight

After about four years of bearing with our very hard water (minerals like calcium in tap water or any water can gunk up inside coffee makers and other appliances and ruin their reservoir capacities and even heating elements), our previous coffee maker had given out.

Between coffee makers we had to, goodness forbid (that's a joke), go about a week or two without fresh pots in the house. ..so this WAS truly exciting.. It makes me happy just thinking about it again. I can smell the aroma of that first-in-a-while pot brewing right now.

This highlight alone would have done just fine as it's own blog post but..

Fittingly, given the coffee drinking, I added many more notes after that one.. perhaps Too many notes.. like a hyper amount of notes - coffee fueled for sure.

Therein lies the challenge this day presented from a blogging perspective. Just how many highlight notes are too many highlight notes? How does one write about Too many highlight notes in a single blog post?

Well, firstly.. let's remember there are no rules with this blog.. so, I remind myself. If I don't want to include everything in a post I don't have to.

What do 'many highlight notes' look like exactly? Here's exactly what that looks like. When I wrote these I didn't know what I was doing, what met my own criteria of a highlight ..and I was just jotting down almost anything, new coffee maker fueled, no less!

As a general rule I don't think it ever hurts to take too many notes. That said, what follows here will be my attempt to fit all of a long day's 'highlights' into a single blog post to see how it goes. Will it flow? Goodness I bet the suspense is killing you, really! ;) If you're still reading. Thank you.

​The Highlights..

Sometimes highlights of my day are the internet searches that I do to research topics that come up in conversation or even ads throughout that day. In this particular daily note, I noted two of them of interest: firstly, the origin of the word Doric ..and secondly, the actual story behind Jim Thorpe (it's a mysterious one if you ever get the chance to look into it.) Each of these these things could undoubtedly be their own blog posts.

I'm going to leave them right here however and say the search results were intriguing enough to be 'highlights of my day' and I think that's pretty cool. A highlight doesn't have to be a trip to some remote paradise. It can be as simple as the above.

Getting Knotty

My husband loves birding and photography so on some weekend trips, I do internet searches like the ones I mentioned above while on the road to occupy the time! Car sickness while reading a tiny phone screen be damned. Given that this was a day we took a birding trip... we woke up early and had a lot of driving to do.

​Many birds tend to come out most in the morning. This won't be news to you if you're a birder, but many of us never stop to think about this. In the case of some birds, you will only have a shot of seeing them or hearing them in the morning. Fortunately, that wasn't the case with the red knots we saw later in the day. ..I noted them down as a highlight of course as well, look at them.. they are super cute.

Sometimes human 'peeps' are noteworthy too..

I've found that sometimes highlights will be some of the people I meet throughout the day. While photographing the red knots, we ran into a dedicated local who volunteers to help turtles cross a busy road from the marshland inlets to the beach. He explained to us that unfortunately, the township had added concrete barriers that inadvertently stopped them from doing so. This is of course, not natural or beneficial.

He explained that many other locals were not only volunteering to help the turtles cross the road but also participating in an ongoing attempt to try to explain to the town what was happening and why they should be concerned.

I don't always agree with all "volunteers." Much self-centered tinkering is done under the guise of volunteering. However, with this man.. no so the case. He seemed dedicated and caring. He wasn't tinkering or superfluously tagging / interfering with animals. He was doing the nitty gritty to attempt to undo damage that had already been done. In this case, that means trying to mitigate the effect of the poorly planned out concrete barriers.

This particular man also kept pamphlets in his car to hand out to help anyone he talked to see 'the big picture' and how commercial krill fishing even thousands of miles away affects birds of the Delaware Bay. Clearly meeting others and sharing these pamphlets and awareness was a highlight of his day or sorts too. Anyone trying to help people see how everything, every life / every being is connected is someone I can support. If you'd like a photo of the pamphlet, I have it saved and can share.

Smoothies make great highlights always.. unofficial rule

Being up at 3 am to get ready to drive to see birds / being an early bird yourself will definitely have you in need of an energy boosting smoothie. Fortunately on this day we were able to stop at New Jersey shore area restaurant Seed to Sprout to try one of their green smoothies with CBD oil added for the first time. I've never hopped on that band wagon, but I'm sure it has some benefits.

​The smoothie was tasty and maybe even soothing on the joints. It lead me to research the different types of CBD oil out there and whether or not they have any soothing effects on joint pain - quick spoiler: reviews across the internet seem pretty scattered and inconclusive on that one. It may be worth a shot in the future for kicks but most reviews were lackluster and not very convincing especially for the price point. Feel free to let me know your experience with CBD oil if you've had a good one! Cheers!

This day turned out to be pretty eventful / story-worthy as luck would have it. Not all days are like that... and that's definitely ok with me. I really like 'boring' - always have - and even more so by the day!

​Did something a little more 'eventful,' however, work out surprisingly well for the first day of a 'highlights of my day' project? Yes.

Being that this was a weekend day, my husband and I decided to go to a local(ish) beach to see the sunrise and to check out some of the warblers who were said to be migrating through the area. Beautiful sightseeing on a weekend day off - a pretty common plan!

Now, you are familiar with sunrises I hope.. but for those who are unfamiliar with warblers (and I know I was up until recently), warblers are a type of bird, or more accurately types of birds. According to wikipedia, "Various Passeriformes (perching birds) are commonly referred to as warblers. They are not necessarily closely related to one another, but share some characteristics, such as being fairly small, vocal, and insectivorous." In other words.. warblers are cute little (usually insect eating) birds.

​Here's a picture of one type of warbler we might've seen that day..

The day had other plans. We didn't see any warblers this day. Instead, as we pulled into the park area with a long road leading its way to the beach, we saw a shore bird (a black bellied plover specifically) running away for its life. [Now, I have to stop right here and say I am NOT one for these types of stories. I'm not a 'let's highlight the cruelties of nature' kind of girl. In fact, I don't believe in that at all for multiple reasons I could get into later.  That said, this is what it is.. and it happened. I take no joy in writing this other than in the happy ending!] 

As we slowed down the car and looked more closely, we saw about three or four crows mercilessly chasing the plover down the long road trying to attack as the plover tried to fend each of them off. The scene was so loud and crazy that other cars stopped and slowed down as well.

As it turned out, this plover was injured... and as it also turns out, crows don't like being anywhere (as in within many football field lengths) of any'thing' that is injured. This beautiful black bellied plover couldn't get away fast enough. They were about to catch up to him. It was scary and horrible to watch.

Apparently, in defense of their territory, crows seek to take down any being that is injured within their 'realm' completely. Supposedly, this is in the interest of keeping their territory scavenger and predator free. Since his wing was injured, the plover could only run but he was not that fast of a runner.

We couldn't just leave him there like that!!

..and I'm going to just get to the point here. With the good fortune of having other cars stop, slow down and avoid the situation (it helped that it was early morning so traffic was light), my husband chased down the black bellied plover in order to get him away from the crows and get him medical attention. (The black bellied plover was absolutely adorable and sweet by the way.) Can we please forgive the crows for not knowing any better.. ? However, not cool guys.

Luckily, just as my husband was able to gently scoop up the plover (after about a ten minute back and forth chase), a park ranger at the end of his shift drove by and offered to assist us by continuing to block traffic. That was very helpful at this point as traffic gets busier as it gets later in the morning. I'm not going to lie.. I don't always trust the goodness in people and this surprised me! I stood by with the car and my husband ended up handing me the plover scooped up in his sweatshirt (who was ok, but did have the injured wing).

We didn't know where to take the bird but once again the park ranger saved the day by instructing us that we could drive him to the nearby park medical office to see what they could do. While the park office itself did not rehab birds, they did have a nice box for us to keep the plover in while we looked up nearby aviary rescues. We very fortunately found one about 40 minutes away. Of course, we canceled our other morning plans and drove the plover to the rehabilitation and rescue center. This completely voluntary avian rescue (which also blew our minds with their caring and generosity) immediately began keeping 'Plovy' comfortable and caring for his injured wing. I'll add an update here as I receive one.

Here's the link to the list of NJ wildlife and Avian rescues that helped us find a good rescue to give 'Plovy' his best chances of healing and comfort that morning. Finding this list on Google saved the day for us literally. We would have been so upset had we not been able to find this or qualified help for Plovy.

​https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/rehab_list.pdf

..and here are a few photos of the beautiful black bellied plover we were so fortunate to be able to meet, though we would've preferred he had been able to avoid the circumstances in which he got to meet us. This was an emotional situation but in these situations, you can only do the best you can. We are so glad we were there that day.

In other 'highlights of the day' news, one of our rescued outdoor cats who had been acclimating to an indoor environment for a few weeks came out from under the bed during dinner for the first time. Fortunate animal rescue successes seemed to be the theme for this day. (Update, he not only continues to come out from under the bed now but has also turned into a bit of a cuddle bug liking to be pet!)

[THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE FOR A PHOTO OF THAT KITTY FIRST BUT I FORGOT TO SNAP IT - LESSON LEARNED.;)]

Another thing that struck me as interesting this day? A new 'diet' term I had never heard before. The new diet is called 'planetarian.' I learned of it as a friend has posted a little something on social media about it. I'll post the definition and some more info here for those who might be interested.

According to the website "Eatforum," "The planetary health diet is a global reference diet for adults that is symbolically represented by half a plate of fruits and vegetables. The other half consists of primarily whole grains, plant proteins (beans, lentils, pulses, nuts), unsaturated plant oils, modest amounts of meat and dairy, and some added sugars and starchy vegetables."

(On a personal note, this isn't exactly my thing but there are overlaps with the way I eat as my husband and I do happen to eat plant-based.)

Another highlight I noted 'It is finally a beautiful day out and I remember that I need to buy a new camping chair to keep in the car.' Funny enough though, there was no way I would've been able to use a chair on this 'eventful' day.

For future 'less eventful' days, I'll set my sights on this surprisingly low priced affordable camping chair and add it to my shopping wish list.

This highlights of the day post is being posted retroactively! I've got a lot of catching up to do as it is now June 9th and I started the 'highlights of the day' note keeping on May 15th. Originally I had intended to only to post about a week out from the original date max... but life happens! No problem, I'm still committing.

There is no writing quite like writing for yourself. You don't feel pressured to do it, yet somehow it also seems easier to do. I don't really intend for anyone else to read this, though anyone is welcome to. I hope you might be inspired by the 'highlights of the day' project if you do. It's simple - almost 'embarrassingly simple,' ..but that's the point. We are trying to crush overthinking here!

I took the notes of my daily highlights in a place that was easy for me. I clicked on the 'notes' app in my iPhone and created a new note. At first, I didn't know if I would create a new note for every day / each day or if I would keep running notes in one iPhone 'notes' 'doc.' As it turns out, it was much easier to keep a running note within one individual note.

​I simply just add a subtitle with the date of each day and then a list a few quick and to the point bullet points under each. To make an individual note for each day would get unnecessarily messy. Unless you're taking very detailed notes (and that may be your style) on each day, it just doesn't make sense. Here is an example of what my iPhone 'note' looks like. ..TYPOS included! Why waste time making a shorthand note doc perfect?